Curiosty Kills the Red Ranger
by Sachi Fuchida
Summary: [A Maddick Fanfiction] Due to her friends' insistence, Maddie goes to a filming camp, reassured that everything will be fine while she's gone. But when she becomes a little homesick, she turns to certain people for some comfort and advice.
1. Insistence

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Power Rangers Mystic Force, or any Power Rangers series for that matter.

Summary: Due to her friends' insistence, Maddie goes to a filming camp, reassured that everything will be fine while she's gone. But when she becomes a little homesick, she turns to certain people for some comfort and advice.

Author's Ramblings: Ahem, I'd just like to announce that the Red Ranger doesn't die in this fanfiction. How could he in the first place? Anyways, enjoy!

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CURIOSITY KILLS THE RED RANGER - INSISTENCE

CHAPTER ONE

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**ROCK PORIUM**

"No, you guys!" An exasperated Maddie set down a rather large pile of CDs on the front desk, sending her hair bouncing on her shoulders, though a small smile rested on her lips. "Thanks, but I can't go to filming camp."

"You deserve it, and you know it." The ever so charming Xander appeared beside her on the right, leaning against the counter casually with a reassuring grin directed towards her. "You've been working overtime and time to relax is just what you need." Reaching out, the green ranger took the load of discs and headed towards Vida's turning tables towards the back. Without warning, he collapsed on the floor rather ungracefully, groaning. "Chip! How many times have I told you? Do _not_ leave these posters lying around! Toby'll kill us if they aren't on the walls by tomorrow." Glancing down by his feet, large scrolls of paper revealed enlarged pictures of the latest rock stars and whatnot. He paused, then sat up, pulling a CD case from his shirt.

Looking up, Chip grimaced. "Sorry! Got a little distracted." The yellow wizard held up his latest book on werewolves excitedly and then the magazine beside him. "I ordered it from _Magic, Myth, and More_ and it just came today! It tells you all about werewolves. See? It says here that the first symptom of turning into a werewolf is a seizure-like motion. You keep twitching, like this." Chip imitated the action, his eyes rolling towards the back of his head. His companion on the floor looked at him pointedly, causing him to stand up straight. "I mean, uh, yeah! You should go to filming camp!"

Maddie rolled her eyes, heading towards Xander. "That's great, Chip. But, I've only been working harder because I need money for a new camera. My last one...well..." The brunette's voice trailed off, recalling what had happened about two weeks ago.

BEGIN FLASHBACK

_"Here's Vida. The best sister in the world, who's got great taste in music." Maddie held her camera in front of Vida's turntables, slightly tilted. "Hey, sis!"_

_Laughing, Vida bobbed her head to the music that was blaring in her ears through her headphones, waving a little into the camera. "Remember to get my good side!" She turned her head a little, apparently satisfied with the new music that had just come in. _

_"Right," the blue ranger laughed along with her sister, walking backwards down the steps to get one last shot of Vida before turning to Nick, who was supposed to be sweeping. Tripping on the last step, she let out a small yelp, letting go of her camera. It flew through the air along with her, landing on the floor in more than two pieces. Fortunately, someone caught the shyer of the two Rocca sisters in the nick of time. _

_"Whoa, you alright?" Maddie blinked, her chocolate brown orbs staring up into the tanned face of the one and only red ranger, who smirked slightly at her clumsiness. Gasping, she stood up abruptly, bumping heads with him. _

_"Ow! Sorry!" She covered her mouth with her hand, reaching out towards him to steady him although she was sprawled out on the floor herself. _

_Wincing, Nick rubbed his head, waving his free hand dismissively. "No, I'm okay. Are you?" He looked at her questioningly, holding out his hand to help her up. The female gratefully took his hand, feeling his strong grip and her cheeks flushing slightly. _

_"Thanks. Yea, I'm okay." Up to this point, Madison had been distracted from her camera, until a certain yellow ranger pointed it out. _

_"Uhh...Heh..Maddie?" Chip scratched the back of his head nervously. His friend wasn't usually known to be, well, like Vida, but if they're related, one could never know. Besides, that camera meant a lot to her since her sister lent her some cash to buy it. Lowering his voice, the red-head grimaced slightly. "Your camera." _

_Turning her head, Madison's eyes landed on the camera on the floor. The lens was cracked among several other damages, clearly unable to be used anymore. It gave one spark and the screen turned bright blue for a moment before turning pitch black as its last existence in life before becoming obsolete. Nick cringed, his own eyes along with all the other rangers' watching Maddie. _

_"Oh." The blue witch furrowed her brow, bending down and picking up the pieces. Looking at her friends, a look of dismay crossed her face, attempting to hide it with a casual smile. "I don't suppose there's a way we can fix it, is there?" Her question was only met with the sympathetic look of her co-workers. She heaved a sigh, shrugging a little. "My own fault, I guess." _

END FLASHBACK

After that, Madison had refused any financial help from Xander, Chip, Nick, Vida, and even Toby. "'Don't worry about it. I've got it,'" she kept reassured them. The brunette, at the moment, bent down beside the green ranger, recollecting the papers by his feet. "You know." Finishing her sentence, she stood up with the posters in her left hand and her right reaching down to Xander to help him up. He took it, nodding at her to show his thanks.

"But he - I mean I'm-right, you know. The only reason why you don't have your camera yet is because you," Xander gestured toward Madison, "aren't letting us," then towards Nick, himself, and Chip, "help you." He looked at her, sporting his charming and persuasive smile once more. "C'mon. We'll even pay for the camp. Won't we, guys?" Looking around, the others averted his look sheepishly, before Nick put his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright. We'll pay. Xander 70 percent, me 10 percent, V 10 percent, and Chip 10 percent." The red ranger chuckled to himself, glancing at his friends for approval.

Chip stretched, a smile on his face. "Yep, sounds about fair to me!" He and Nick turned to Vida, who nodded with a grin.

"Thanks guys." Xander sighed, strolling over to Vida's turntables. "Now, V here looked up some camps and chose some for you." Devious smirks appeared on every one's faces. Apparently, this trip had been planned out for days, like some evil and diabolical plan.

Maddie glanced at her friends in amazement. "You guys already planned this out?" She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Fine. Which one is it?"

"It's just a high-tech, advanced, film-making class." The other Rocca sister shrugged nonchalantly, holding one side of the headphones to her ear, bobbing her head up and down. "It'll be fun! Don't worry about it, Sis."

The blue ranger sighed skeptically, beginning to rack the discs that had been sprawled on the floor a couple a minutes ago. They seemed to have rearranged themselves back on the table. Magically, shall we say? As soon as Rock Porium became calm and unusually quiet, Madison turned around abruptly, her arms folded.

"But what if...what if Udonna calls?" The rest of the rangers groaned, having been hopeful that this was settled once and for all. "You guys can't fight _them_ without me! What if something happens? Udonna and Daggeron might not approve of me being away from everyone for a while." Her hand lifted, fidgeting with the ends of her hair. Truly, Madison was slightly nervous about being somewhere without Vida and her friends. A camp with people she didn't know remotely made her a little edgy.

Nick strode over, placing his hands firmly on Maddie's shoulders. "If something comes up, you can be here in a second. Udonna and Daggeron don't need to know. We'll say you're sick or something." He shrugged his shoulders, as if it was really no big deal. "Besides, its only two weeks." Releasing his friend, he pretended to be interested in a large cardboard figure that was facing them, though really it was to avoid Madison's look. He almost felt like giving in, and letting her stay there at the Rock Porium with them instead of going to camp. He wouldn't see her for two whole weeks and all the time, he would regret being part of sending her off in the first place. But feeling that would just be selfish...right?

"Two weeks?" The soon-to-be camper echoed Nick's words, then pursed her lips. She recognized the determined looks on their faces. Unfolding her arms, she stuffed them in the pockets of her jean capris and gave a small smile in resignation. "When do I leave?"

Vida laughed and jumped down from her turntables, hugging her sister. "The day after tomorrow! I'll help you pack." Satisfied smirks appeared on the features of all the workers of Rock Porium, even Toby. Sighing, Maddie nodded, randomly sifting through a large pile of new arrivals. Although everything was already decided, a pouting face couldn't hurt!

"Now don't give us that face, Maddie." Nick pointed his index finger at her, jabbing her in the side gently. "Everything's set and paid. You're going no matter what."

"I know...What about my camera?"

Silence.

"We...haven't quite figured that part out yet." The 'supervisor' of the Rock Porium employees coughed nervously, whistling a little.

"I'm sure they'll have an extra for you to use at the camp. You're going, Maddie. Period." The film-maker's sister looked at her sternly, though winking at her when the males of the group weren't looking, causing Madison to laugh.

"How could I resist?"The blue ranger grinned excitedly, finishing stocking the discs on the rack.

"Great! Let's go on break. I'm starving." Chip suggested, chuckling. As usual, all of them ditched the Rock Porium for a while, leaving Toby with all the customers while they went out. Usually it was when Udonna called and informed them that Briarwood needed their help, but occasionally they went out eat.

With the unanimous vote, all of them up and left the Rock Porium, waving to Toby.

"Bye Toby!"

"We'll be back later."

"Break time! Whoo-hoo!"

"See ya, Toby!"

"Later!"

The owner mumbled under his breath, something about overpaid employees that didn't work enough. Shaking his head, he headed towards the back room, still muttering.

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Author's Ramblings: Hope you guys enjoyed Chapter One! I promise I'm going to be better at updating then my other fanfictions. -sweatdrop- Please review for me! 


	2. Suspicion

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Power Rangers Mystic Force.

Author's Ramblings: Hey again! Thanks to those of you who reviewed and even read my story. It was actually pretty encouraging for me to receive four or five reviews after the first day, and I hope I'll get more. Yay! Here's chapter two for you, and again, the red ranger does not, and never will, die in this fanfiction.

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CURIOSITY KILLS THE RED RANGER - SUSPICION

CHAPTER TWO

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**BRIARWOOD TRAIN STATION**

Chip grunted, lugging one of two suitcases that Madison had packed for her two-week trip to a filming camp. "Maddie, no offense or anything, but you're leaving for two weeks, not two months."The freckled boy panted slightly, leaning against a metal and rusted pole. "Let's rest for a while."

Maddie, who carried her other suitcase, laughed a little. "Sorry, Chip. You were so eager to help, I gave you the suitcase with all my filming equipment."She shrugged helplessly, her comment arousing chuckles from the group. "I'm going to go buy my ticket, anyone want to come with?"The brunette set down her suitcase with a thud beside Nick, who sat eyeing all the other passengers of the train around them. Hearing Maddie's voice, he bit the inside of his cheek, preventing him from saying anything.

The other female brunette with a green streak through her bangs piped up. "Yeah, I'll go." Darting a warning glance towards the trio of boys on the bench, her voice held a threatening tone. "Watch her stuff and don't let anyone steal anything. Got it?" Her dark orbs immediately darted to Xander, and an illuminating aura suddenly appearing around her in the eyes of her fellow rangers.

The male in question chuckled nervously, conjuring up the best smile he could under the circumstances. "Y-You got it, V!" He glanced at Nick and Chip, his eyebrow raised slightly, but the other two only responded in stifled snickers. Rolling his eyes, the Australian green ranger crossed his legs, leaning back on the bench.

Vida rushed to catch up with her sister, who was already in line. Looking about the train station, her protective and critical side became aroused.

There was a wooden, shack-like ticket booth. It was in desperate need of repair, with the paint peeling off and flaking to the ground. Not to mention the small holes through the walls, caused by the termites. Bird droppings were scattered all over the area, like the splashes of colorful paint in a paintball arena. Gum, now the color of the bottom of Vida's boot, stuck to the cement and pieces of trash littered the ground. Cringing, Vida hurried to Maddie's side, her arms folded.

"How come we couldn't just drive you there? Then we'd know you were safe!" The more rash of the Rocca sisters shook her head, gesturing around them.

"Sis, it would be a two hour ride! And besides, I'll be fine." Her smile didn't reassure her sibling much, but did enough to quiet and calm her down. Reaching the worn counter, she held out a five dollar bill, purchasing her ticket. Maddie took the piece of paper, returning to her luggage. "Thanks for seeing me off, guys. I'm going to board now." Before she could finish her good-byes, she was enveloped in a giant bear hug, courtesy of Chip, soon joined by Xander and Vida. Nick smiled a bit, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"We'll miss you, a lot. Don't worry about Udonna. Just take care of yourself. And call me if you need anything. Don't let anyone hit on you." Vida rambled on and on about what to do and what not to do, until Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulder, clamping his hand over her mouth.

"Don't worry about V, Maddie. We'll take care of her while you're gone. Keep her in line." He chuckled, winking a little until stumbling back when the pink ranger shoved him away rather roughly.

Glaring at the Aussie, Vida hugged her sister. "Just be careful, okay?" Maddie responded to a nod, taking both suitcases and waving a little.

"I'll write to you guys! Bye!" She boarded the train, sitting on a seat near the window. Smiling reassuringly, she blew a kiss and then laughed.

Nick, hands still out of sight, gestured towards the parking lot. "Let's go, guys. Maddie's old enough to take care of herself." With one last wave, the group of four walked off. But although Nick was the first to suggest they leave, he was the last one out of the parking lot. Jogging up to the side of the window, he slipped off his leather jacket with ease and let it hang from his arm, tapping on the window of Maddie's seat. The blue ranger, who had slipped on the earphones of her CD player, was oblivious to the fact that Nick was tapping on her window and hummed quietly with her eyes closed.

"Maddie!" The red ranger knocked on the glass louder, startling the female inside the train. Quickly pulling off her earphones, her eyes fluttered open and she casually opened the window, despite her heart beating twice its normal rate. One, because Nick had surprised her. Hadn't he already left? Second...well, because it was him!

"Nick...Hey!" Her brow furrowed in confusion, though she smiled a bit. "What are you still doing here? I thought you left with everyone else."

"Yeah, I wanted to give you something for your trip." Taking the jacket hanging from his arm, he held it out and pushed it through the open window. "It, uh, it might get cold over there. Wear that when it does." He once more stuffed his hands in his pockets, glancing towards the ticket booth to avoid Madison's eyes.

"Thanks, Nick. This really means a lot to me." Maddie beamed, but reduced it to a casual smile with a light shade of pink tinging her cheeks. Folding the leather jackets carefully, she gently set it on her lap, fidgeting with the sleeve a bit. "Here...Something to remember me by.." she murmured, looking down slightly. She paused for a moment, then stuck her hand out with window. Nick cautiously raised his hand to receive it, and a warm, silver chain necklace dropped into his palm. From it hung the letter 'R', originally standing for Rocca. "You don't have to wear it or anything. But, its yours." She shrugged a bit, her cheeks flushing.

The red ranger grinned a little, closing his hand around the glinting chain. "Nah, I will. Thanks, Maddie." He held the necklace up to inspect, then put it around his neck.

"No problem. But um..You should probably go now. Toby will kill you if you're late again."

"Yeah, yeah. I should probably get going." He gestured towards the parking lot where his motorcycle was parked. "Have a nice time." Nick saluted to her, then walked off, hoping he looked more calm than he felt. Much more.

"Did I just salute to her?" The departing teen mused quietly, groaning. Swinging his left leg over the motorcycle, he rode off, leaving Maddie in the train quite content and grinning happily.

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**ROOT CORE**

Daggeron paced in front of the four aligned teens, his face stern. "Today.." he folded his arms and glanced at the rangers, as if seeing if they were ready to hear the information he was about to disclose. "We go on a treasure hunt." He chuckled to himself, watching Chip quietly cheer and Vida sag over in disbelief.

"You each get a map," he continued, handing out a piece of paper to each ranger. "Each map is different and will lead you to an area where you will find a chest. Use your magic and your resources to open the chest. Bring back whatever is in it, and whoever brings their item back to Root Core first, wins." Daggeron paused, glancing back at the teens. First there was Nick, then Vida, then Xander, and lastly Chip. There usually was five rangers. Finally, it clicked. "Where's Madison?"

Chip scratched the back of his head nervously, giving a weak laugh. "So, wh-what do we get if we win?" He attempted to draw Daggeron's thoughts away from the blue ranger, though his actions came up fruitless.

"You'll find out if you win. Where is she?" the Solaris ranger answered shortly.

"Is there something wrong, Daggeron? Who's missing?" The voice of the sorceress Udonna floated towards them from the entrance of Root Core.

"Yea, who's missing?" Clare echoed Udonna, hauling a basket of herbs beside her.

"Madison is. Mind explaining, rangers?" The rangers' teacher folded his arms, eyes stern.

Sighing in defeat, Xander stepped forward. "Ah, we can't keep anything from you guys, can we." He shrugged helplessly, still smirking a little. "You see..." He paused before continuing. And for dramatic effect, no less. "Maddie's sick! She's at her house recuperating. Remember guys, there was that customer at Rock Porium who was sneezing and coughing. We elected Maddie to help him." The green ranger stated it matter-of-factly, nudging Vida for back-up. "Right, V?"

The pink ranger shot him a glare, then faked a laugh. "Oh yeah, I remember that. Y'know, if that customer comes back, I'm going to **get him**," Vida gritted her teeth, emphasizing the last two words as her dark orbs bore into Xander's. The only time he was actually good at lying was when he was talking to girls. Then, he spouted off lies, or as he likes to call them, 'small exaggerations,'as easily as he breathed, and his charming smiles made it all the more easier for most girls to believe him. Vida was one of those who didn't waver at the sight of his trademark grin or attracting accent. The green ranger laughed under her stare, waving his hand dismissively.

Udonna exchanged glances with Daggeron, both obviously not convinced by Xander or Vida although they said otherwise. "Send her my best wishes. Let's hope she gets better." The sorceress nodded to the rangers, sweeping past them with Clare in tow.

"Oh! I could help her get better! I know this great potion that I can make. It'll help her feel better in no time at all! Bring her here!" Clare happily bobbed her head up and down, convinced that she would be able to help the actually healthy Madison.

All four rangers shook their head, their voices overlapping in denial. "No! I mean...No, its alright."

"Yeah, she'll be fine!"

"She looked great, last time I saw her..."

"Perfectly fine."

Nick cleared his throat, looking to the others. "We should probably start on our treasure hunts, huh?" He held up his map, heading towards the woods. "C'mon guys."

The only female of the group at the moment turned swiftly, her cape rippling behind her. "Right." The last two rangers followed suit, leaving behind a slightly disappointed Clare and two highly suspicious teachers.

Outside the dragon head-like entrance, Chip leaned against a nearby tree in exhaustion. "That. Now _that_ was close." He pointed back to where they had come from.

The green ranger rolled his eyes. "You're joking, right? They believed me completely." He folded his arms in defiance, then took his map and looked it over. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Vida narrowed her eyes at him, then turned her head to look at her own map. "I'll be seeing you guys later, 'cause I'm going to win that prize. "Striding off towards the north, the three males looked after her until her cape gave one last wave before disappearing from their sight.

"Doubt it. I'm going to get that prize," the Aussie boasted, walking towards the west. "Good luck, you guys! You're going to need it!" Calling over his shoulder, he waved and began jogging, confident of winning.

"Well, I want to see what the prize is...Maybe I'll win.." Chip looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "See you later, Nick!" Taking a quick glance at his map, he spun towards the same direction Vida had went, then paused. "North...South...West...East? Oh! East!" He laughed a little nervously, then followed his own map in hopes of being the first to divulge what the prize was.

"Later," the last ranger replied dryly. Without the loud chatter of his friends, the woods seemed a bit empty, but it was better to keep on his guard than be startled by something...like Phineas. Recalling the troblin's many startling appearances, Nick chuckled to himself before setting off towards the south, leaving only the west, which originally was for Maddie, with no ranger.

An hour and a half later, all returned to the same spot before, outside Root Core. Chip sighed, flopping on the ground. His face had scratches all over, and his cape was drenching wet. "I got lost..." He frowned, disappointed in himself, but then noticed that it seemed no one else had succeeded either.

The green ranger brushed spider webs out of his hair, then put his hands on his hips. "Look, my map was wrong. And then I dropped it into quick-sand."

"Uh-huh..." Nick coughed, picking leaves out of his own hair. "Trees attacked me. All of them."

Vida rolled her eyes, but was covered from head to toe in pollen. "Don't even ask."

Xander held up his hands in defense, stifling a fit of laughter at the sight of the pink ranger. "No, no. Never." Recovering his composure, he gestured to Nick, who was fingering the necklace Maddie had given him. "Nick, didn't know you had a thing for jewelry." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Wait a minute...That's Maddie's!" Vida stared at Nick in disbelief, who stepped back and hid the necklace.

"She gave it to me, when I was leaving, okay?"

"I don't know, V. He looks kind of suspicious to me," Chip chortled, patting the male in question on the back.

"C'mon guys, you don't trust me?"

"I'll trust you...for now. If you hurt Maddie in any way, I'm going to hunt you down." The pink Rocca sister pursed her lips, then stalked into Root Core.

Shaking his head, the Aussie nudged Nick. "Got a thing for Maddie, do you? You'd better watch out though. Let's go." Xander and Chip jogged to catch up with Vida, and disappeared into Root Core.

"No kidding..." Nick exhaled forcefully, then followed suit.

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Author's Ramblings: Ack, I'm really sorry about the long delay. I hope you all liked this chapter! I really will try to update more often. xD And I apologize for the spacing errors. For some reason, when I save it, it just saves it with them. Gomen! Anyways, thanks for reading and review for me! 


	3. Adjustment

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers Mystic Force. Rawr.

Author's Ramblings: I'm really sorry about the extremely late update. Everything's just been so hectic here, so I apologize. In the time that I haven't been updating here, I've actually started another Maddie and Nick two-shot, and will post it soon for sure! Read on for more updates.

Someone in their review pointed out to me that Udonna and Daggeron probably wouldn't mind much if Madison went away since she could always come back in seconds with tree portals. -cough- There's always some sort of mistake in my fanfictions, aren't there? Anyways, I've decided that Daggeron had wanted to train with Maddie especially for a while, and is disappointed that she isn't there. -nods confidently-

I've brought Ben, from the episode Rock Solid, into the story to make things a bit more interesting. Oooh! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter!

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CURIOSITY KILLS THE RED RANGER - ADJUSTMENT

CHAPTER THREE

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**ROCK PORIUM**

Adjustment. In the _Random House Webster's College Dictionary_, the only dictionary this author had at the moment besides the _Scholastic's Children Dictionary_, adjustment has seven different meanings. Out of these seven, there's one that really popped out, that really fit with this unfolding story. Adjustment is 'a modification of behavior so as to achieve a balance between personal needs and interpersonal or societal demands'. Or, adjustment could be described as a 'therapeutic manipulation of the vertebrae or joints to bring them into alignment', but that just wouldn't work as well as the one before it, correct? Anyways, Nick's adjustment...well, it's safe to say there were none made. The red ranger's fruitless attempt to act normal with Madison not here was, well, fruitless! But when Xander suddenly recieves a call, how will Nick _adjust_ to the situation? After all, it was in the middle of work. From a girl. To Xander! Let's face it, Xander **never** recieved call-backs from the girls he flirted with...

"Alright, guys, let's get to work. Nick, you take out the trash. Chip, you update the new releases list. And Vida...You can dust." Xander grinned charmingly, smiling up at three of his friends from his seat. Crossing his legs and flipping open his magazine, he winked at them. "I'll supervise." This was quickly becoming routine for the employees of Rock Porium, despite their complaints and groans of the overly-full-of-himself green ranger. Still, every now and then one of them would take a stand, attempting to make the Aussie move his rear end and do something, but so far their tries had been fruitless.

"Xander, someone needs to sweep. You do it," Vida suggested firmly, chucking the broom at him. The male easily caught it with one hand, propping it up against the coffee table.

"Not to worry, V! I'll just tell Maddie to do that when she...Hmm..." The brunette's voice trailed off, his lips drawn together in a frown. That wouldn't do. The blue ranger, a much needed member of their team, had gone to filming camp and wouldn't be here to help. A sigh escaped his lips as he corrected himself.. "I mean, Nick can do that when he finishes..It's kind of odd, with Maddie not around, isn't it?" he added, folding his arms.

"Remember, it was for her own good!" Chip cheerfully reminded them, already taking the roster of CDs and heading towards the brown, cardboard boxes in the corner. He nudged another box along with his foot, unwilling to pick it up and carry it to the other boxes. "She'll be back before we know it."

Vida nodded fervently, although she also missed her sister. They'd never really been apart for a long period of time, especially not lately with the whole Power Ranger thing and fighting and things like that. Maybe this trip would also be good for their independence. A smile tugged at the end of her lips, knowing that she could perhaps talk to Xander over the week too. There were some things she wanted to discuss with him...It would've been too awkward to do so with her sister around. Shoving her thoughts out of her mind, she absentmindedly grabbed the duster and brushed the same shelf over and over again. The onlooking green ranger arched his eyebrow, chuckling softly as he shook his head.

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**FILMING CAMP**

Maddie heaved a sigh, sitting on a log quietly, toying with her camera. The camp was nice, she had to admit. They had a great view of the lake, and then mountains in the background. The log cabins that was their home for the next couple of weeks were comfortable enough, and the experience was certainly going to be a great one. Something was missing though...Groaning softly in frustration, she stood and clutched a rock in her slender hand. Skipping it across the lake, it suddenly came to her. Her inspiration! Her muse! Flushing to herself, the image of a certain male brunette popped into her head. It would be a tough time hanging out without her sister and friends with her.

"You okay there, Madison?" A familiar voice floated towards her, and the said girl swiveled around in surprise.

"Ben?" she exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face. "What are you doing here?" Ben, whom she had met the day she turned to stone, had never struck her as the type to film. She made a move to join him at his side, but the tall male strode over to her within seconds.

"My sister comes regularly, so I just come with her and hang around," he explained, shrugging a bit. "It's nice to see you here." The inflection in his voice warmed Maddie's cheeks, her fingers fiddling with the lens cover.

"Yeah, same here!" Falling into step with him, they reached the lake's dock, the sun climbing gradually up in the sky behind them. "It's been a while, since we've talked," the blue ranger commented mildly, attempting to strike up conversation. She'd occassionally see him walking around near Rock Porium, but she'd rarely actually had a lengthy conversation lately. Gazing across the water, the teen glanced up in confusion when she recieved no response. The male was staring at her intently...until their eyes met. Immediately, his dark orbs glanced away, a curt nod answering her comment.

Angling her head to the right slightly out of curiosity, Maddie stood abruptly. "Sorry, Ben. I should go back to my cabin. I think the girls had something planned for tonight," she laughed quietly and a bit awkwardly, giving a small wave before she turned. A pressure on her shoulder caused her to turn around though, and Maddie's lips soon met Ben's in a innocent and chaste kiss.

"Sweet dreams, Madison," he murmured, grinning. With that, he waved and jogged off, his t-shirt ruffling in the breeze. In awe and shock, the female stood; several minutes passed before she could move again. Touching her fingers to her lips, she exhaled sharply, numbly walking back to the cabin. Her first kiss...

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**ROCK PORIUM**

"C'mon team, Toby's due back from the bank any minute now," Xander urged the other employees of Rock Porium, a smirk resting upon his features. The latest auto magazine lay open in his lap, and his cell phone on the arm rest of the couch.

"We'd be done faster if you helped," Vida grumbled grudgingly as she passed by him, bopping him on the head.

"No kidding," Nick brushed the front of his purple work-shirt off, looking pointedly at the resting male.

"Right, right. But someone _has_ to supervise, or else we'd lose all ord-" His speech was cut off by the shrill ringing of his phone, playing a dramatic theme song of some sort, and the clatter of the metal hitting the floor as it vibrated. "Heh, sorry mates. Got an important business call!" Bending down, Xander picked up the phone and walked importantly outside. His loud voice carried back to his fellow co-workers: "Hello! Xander speaking, how may I help you?"

The other three members of the Mystic Force Power Rangers exchanged glances, rolling their eyes after the Aussie, though returning to work quickly. No longer listening to the one-sided conversation, they didn't catch what Xander said afterwards, which sounded almost genuinely concerned.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

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Author's Ramblings: Hey everyone, again. Really sorry about not updating sooner, again. So, here's the third chapter for you:) Hope you liked it, and please review for me! 


	4. Indifference

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Power Rangers Mystic Force. 

Author's Ramblings: Happy holidays, everybody, despite it's a tad bit late for that. I hope you all enjoyed the addition of Ben! I know many of you may dislike Ben, but he is helpful when it comes to spicing up the storyline a bit. So, hang in there. Maddie and Nick may get their happily-ever-after in the end.

I truly truly TRULY apologize that I'm so untimely with my updates. x.x A lot of the time, I have spare time but just don't feel inspired enough to write. I know I've got a lot to work on before I'm a good fanfic writer (like not procrastinating on chapters, haha), but I've got a lot of ideas lined up for this story!

And...onto Chapter Four!

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CURIOSITY KILLS THE RED RANGER - INDIFFERENCE

CHAPTER FOUR

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**ROCK PORIUM**

_Xander leaned against the outer wall of Rock Porium, cellphone in his right hand pressed to his ear. "Calm down, Maddie," he reassured his long-time friend. As he spoke, the Aussie winked charmingly at a passing girl, mouthing the words: 'important business call'. The red-headed teen giggled, flipping her long, and lustrous hair back. _

_"Xander? Hello?" Madison's voice jerked the male back to the present conversation. A hint of irritation and also possibly hysteria was audible in the blue ranger's normally cam and firm voice. _

_"Oh sorry, Maddie. I was...supervising the team! You know how off task they can get," the green ranger chuckled slightly uneasily, running a hand through his brown locks. "How's camp?" _

_Thoroughly distressed by her current situation, Madison didn't pay attention to the white lies that Xander told her. "It's...good. But there's one thing...I was kissed. By Ben!" Her voice had lowered to a mere whisper, and simultaneously, the Aussie's jaw had dropped. _

_Silence. _

_"Xander?" she called again. "Are you there? Shoot, I have to go. Call me back later!" she demanded her friend. _

Turning over the phone in his hand, the green ranger sighed quietly, crossing his legs in the comfort of a plush chair. Ben? He really had nothing against Ben, but he never expected Maddie - the shyest of them all - to get her first kiss from a person she hardly even knew! "It'd be understandable if I gave her her first kiss," Xander chuckled to himself. "After all, I have known her since, well, forever. And it doesn't hurt that I'm as handsome as I am. But then again.."

"Who are you talking to?" Vida smirked, pausing beside his chair as her right hand gripped a trash bag. "Yourself, probably. After all, you are your own lover." Rolling her eyes, the pink ranger walked off, exchanging knowing glances with Nick, who was playing around with V's tables. With permission this time, of course.

"I wasn't talking to myself!" the Aussie argued. "Well, maybe just a little. I can't help myself," he murmured, then groaned, slumping over in his chair. His mind wandered back to a scene he had been trying to play over and over again in his mind. In his daydreams, Maddie had seductively bit Ben's lower lip, leading into a passionate kiss, but that obviously wasn't her style. A shudder even ran up his back as he imagined Maddie and Ben, shaking his head in disbelief. Maddie?!

It had been nearly an hour since Maddie's call, one which had left Xander speechless, and the rest of the crew curious. "So, who called?" Chip had directly asked Xander. The other two took a less direct approach, though just as obvious: "I thought I heard your cell phone ring. Was it just me?" Refusing to divulge any information, the green ranger retreated back to Toby's office, who was currently "in a meeting". Despite his disbelief, he wasn't sure if_ The Kiss_, as he now dubbed it, was a secret or not.

"Hey." A voice from the door of the dim-lit office startled him, automatically pretending to shuffle through some random papers on the desk. Shooting a furtive glance towards the door, Xander sighed, propping his head up with his hand.

"Nick, I thought you were Toby," he chuckled, resting his feet upon the desk once more.

"How's Maddie?" Nick questioned casually, arching an eyebrow.

"...Maddie?"

"Yeah, Maddie. Madison? At film camp?'

"Oh! Maddie! She's good. She kiss - I mean, misses us! Wait..How'd you know I talked to her?" Xander looked at the red ranger suspiciously.

"I heard you talking on the phone with her. Duh. She.." he paused, looking at the other male with equal suspicion, "misses us?"

Scratching his head nervously, Xander laughed weakly. "Yeah! Misses us. You know how it is, hasn't been away from the mates that long before."

Stare. Stare. Stare.

"OKAY! She _kissed_ him! Maddie swore me to secrecy - actually, no she didn't - but you can't tell! You know how it is with girls; you tell one piece of their lives to someone, and they blow up on you! But can you believe it? She _kissed_ him! This is Maddie. Madison Rocca. Maddie!"

Stare. Stare. Stare.

"Nick?"

"What?" the red ranger turned his back to Xander, clumsily fumbling with a poster advertising a newly released CD of a rock band.

"Aww..I know that look," the boy behind the desk smirked like the all-knowing guy he was, sitting up straight in his desk.

"Not a word," Nick warned him, gripping the brass doorknob. Jerking it open, Xander swept past him, a smile still perched upon his face.

"Just so you'll sleep better at night: he kissed her, not the other way around."

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**FILMING CAMP**

A elderly, jovial-looking man chuckled slightly as he gathered a group of aspiring film-makers together around him. "Alright, kids. Settle down," his voice boomed over those of the teens, and suddenly everyone fell quiet. "Looks like I won't have to train you guys this year." A chuckle aroused from the group, and he suddenly clapped his hands. "We're going to separate you into groups, and our guides are going to lead you around the camp and up some trails with some pretty good views. Remember: your final assignment at the end of these two weeks is to create a commercial, showing what you've done at this camp and what you've achieved! And also, the person who we decide has the best commercial in the end, and has progressed a lot, will win a lot of new film-making equipment."

Murmurs of surprise and approval sounded from the teens, and the man laughed. "Did I forget to mention that? Alright, the group leaders have their lists of people, and make sure you don't get lost. Rumor has it that these woods are haunted...Get to it!"

Within moments, each person began milling around, looking for their group. Maddie happily clutched her camcorder and heard a familiar voice calling names out. "Allison Wellings, Austin Honer," his voice was momentarily drowned out by a squeal of two girls who'd been placed in the same group. "Maddie Rocca, and Roy Casper!"

Madison blinked, tentatively walking through the sea of people towards the loud voice. "Ben!" She was, to say the least, surprised.

The brunette male smiled at her, keeping eye contact as he waved his arm as if to say follow him. "Let's go, people. I know a really good route that leads to a small waterfall-type thing."

Hesitant, yet still happy for a familiar face, Madison fell into step beside him, camera in hand and ready.

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Author's Ramblings: Buwaahahahahaha! It's finally up. Read and review for me!

P.S. This will NEVER be a BenxMaddie Fanfic. No worries! hehe.


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